I was dragged to the infirmary in a daze.
I followed the doctor along with the three people who had been watching over . A spacious room ca into view. It was white and bright, with a desk and several chairs for visitors.
A cool breeze carrying the scent of disinfectant hung in the spotless room.
The man who had burst out of the door earlier quickly walked over and sat down at the desk.
He gestured for the incoming people to sit.
"Samuel? Is sothing wrong?"
The people scattered and sat in the chairs here and there. Ami, the only one who didn't sit but instead ca to stand beside , asked the man in the white coat.
The man called Samuel waved his hand.
"It's a bit tricky to explain. There's no health issue. Except for the fact that his stomach is completely empty right now."
"If it's not a health problem, then what could it be?"
Ami's eyes widened as she asked back.
"We just did a health check, right? If sothing ca up in the health check, that ans there's a health problem."
Exactly. That was a very reasonable point.
But strangely, the doctor shook his head vigorously.
"First, give him sothing to eat."
The doctor said in a gruff voice, his eyes fixed on the screen.
"I'll explain with the images. Get ready to contact Ye-hyeon."
"To the Supre Commander~?"
"You'll freak out when you see it too."
What was it.
What was the problem now. Listening to the conversation between the doctor called Samuel and the others, I felt scared. It was already confusing enough to end up in an unfamiliar place with my mories gone, and now there was another issue.
The faces of everyone except Ro hardened.
A chill settled in my stomach.
The sound of the mouse wheel clicking away seed unusually loud. The doctor told us to wait and searched for sothing on the computer.
I tensed up and bit my lip.
I had no idea what the problem was, but if it was serious, what would happen to ?
I clenched my sweaty fists.
At the sa ti, Ami spoke.
"Mr. Hilde."
I turned my head in surprise.
"Yes?"
"What do you like?"
Do you rember? What you liked? Ami looked at with her round eyes. I could see her smartphone in her hand, displaying photos of various foods.
I blankly alternated between the screen and Ami.
"Ah.... I can't really rember. Sorry...."
"It's okay."
She replied breezily and tilted her head to examine my face.
"Your expression doesn't look good."
"Well, yeah. How could he feel good when there's a big health issue?"
"No, I said it's not a health problem."
Hearing Ro's irrelevant comnt, I let out a heavy sigh.
Judging from how Ami and Ricardo weren't particularly surprised, it seed Ro often said random things like this. I looked at Ro, who had raised his eyebrows as if to say, Huh? Then what is it? This is a hospital and you're a doctor. A mix of bewildernt and worry showed in my awkward smile.
So, what was all this about.
Ami suggested ordering a hamburger since it was safe. I nodded slowly as I watched her tap on the phone screen.
"Look at this."
Then the doctor's voice made turn my head.
"You guys can read this graph, right?"
He pointed to the hologram window.
What was that. I blinked dumbly at the new thing that appeared. The clear window was filled with incomprehensible numbers and explanations.
I couldn't read it.
But the others seed able to interpret the information.
The people raised their voices.
"Huh! Is this really Mr. Hilde's?"
"Ah~?"
"What's that? What does it an?"
The reactions were mixed.
The hologram window showed an adult body image and various graphs. The graphs had numbers and incomprehensible words. But even after blinking and reading again, I couldn't understand what the numbers indicated.
Fortunately, Ro looked as confused as I did.
However, Ricardo and Ami showed unmistakable bewildernt on their faces. They stayed silent for a while, just staring at the graphs.
A chaotic silence settled over the infirmary.
The doctor provided the explanation.
"He's an Augnted Body holder just like you guys."
"I'll report to the Commander and co back~."
"Ah? Hey, say sothing that makes sense!"
Ricardo stood up and went outside, while Ro raised his voice.
"I've never seen a Black Badger like this! And it's been years since the war ended—there can't be an unregistered Black Badger! Hey, even I know that, and I'm not smart!"
"That's why it's a big deal. And lower your voice, kid! This is a hospital!"
"Wow."
Ami muttered to herself with her eyes wide open.
I sat there like an idiot, unable to understand the doctor's words, turning my head. Ami was standing beside , staring at the hologram window.
Ignoring the bickering between Ro and the doctor, she added in a clear voice.
"The HR Director will have to co back for overti too."
What was a Black Badger.
And what did it an that I was an Augnted Body holder. It had been less than a few hours since I ca to my senses, and now I was facing another incomprehensible term.
Moreover, unlike before, this didn't seem like it would resolve easily.
I sat quietly with my mouth shut amid the excited people, to protect my own safety among these complete strangers.
The white infirmary. Excited and surprised strangers. Unfamiliar slls, an unfamiliar environnt. Strange nas and strange words.
Suddenly, I felt terribly hungry and tired.
I just wanted to forget all this and fall asleep.
*
Ricardo returned with the hamburger.
The man with soft green eyes but an irrepressible sharpness emanating from his body opened the infirmary door, holding a bag with the hamburger.
I turned to the man who called Hilde in a friendly way.
Instead of the somber black combat uniform he had been wearing earlier—combat uniform, I assud—he now wore a neat shirt and pants.
The glasses he wore suited him surprisingly well.
The man smiled and walked into the infirmary.
"It's a hamburger.... You waited a long ti, huh~?"
"No, thank you so much."
"Hey, this guy's Augnted Body is real."
I finally took the paper bag with the hamburger using my freed hands, and Ro tapped his foot from his chair.
Ricardo looked down at Ro through his glasses.
"Yeah~?"
"Yeah. I even arm-wrestled him myself."
I lost cleanly.
A few minutes ago, when Ami unlocked the handcuffs and suggested I arm-wrestle Ro, we did a round. Of course, I didn't think I'd win. Ro clearly had a sturdy, athletic build honed by exercise.
I was defeated without a chance to resist.
But Ami and the doctor didn't focus on the outco of the arm-wrestle. They seed more interested in the fact that my muscles were intact even after arm-wrestling Ro.
Ricardo appeared to be the sa.
His green eyes scanned my arm.
"This is sothing. The situation keeps getting weirder...."
"Peanut went off to report to soone. I don't know what he's reporting."
"Of course~. It's an unprecedented ergency."
Ricardo replied in a voice tinged with a strange amusent.
As I rustled to take out the hamburger, I glanced at the man standing in front of . It should have been okay to eat here, right? I'd been so hungry since entering the infirmary.
As if reading my mind, Ricardo added casually.
"You can eat comfortably here.... That's why I brought it here."
"Ah, thank you."
"Your expression doesn't look good?"
He watched unwrap the hamburger.
"Is it because people are changing their faces and making calls everywhere over the Augnted Body thing? Don't worry too much~. Even if it becos a problem, it'll be our high command in trouble, not you...."
"Uh.... I don't want to cause trouble for anyone if possible."
"That could be. If the high command covers it well. Your existence hasn't been known outside yet, right~?"
Ricardo smiled and stretched his long legs to pull over a wheeled chair.
He sat astride the chair and waved his hand as if to say eat the hamburger.
"Eat up~. You must be hungry...."
"Thank you."
I thanked him and took a bite of the hamburger.
The juices, sauce, and crisp lettuce burst delightfully in my mouth. My eyes widened at the unexpected taste. It was delicious. Strange, the fragnted mories of hamburgers didn't taste this good.
I checked the wrapper, but it wasn't a brand I recognized.
Anyway, I ate it gratefully. It seed my appearance had caused all sorts of headaches, but these people treated decently, and I was thankful for that.
Ricardo's soft smile grew.
"How much did Samuel Han explain to you~?"
So Samuel's full na was Samuel Han.
After swallowing the hamburger, I replied.
"Not in much detail.... Just that the Augnted Body is well-integrated with no physical issues."
"That's like him~. He only gives dical opinions.... He doesn't say anything outside his field since he doesn't know how far to go~."
"Is there a problem with that?"
The one who interrupted the conversation was Ro, who had been playing a ga on his phone.
He furrowed his thick eyebrows and looked at us.
"You can explain about Black Badgers and Augnted Bodies. Right?"
"Well.... Yeah.... It'll be more comfortable for Hilde and us if I explain it properly~."
"If it's okay, I'd appreciate it."
I picked up a french fry and politely asked. I'd heard bits and pieces, but new situations had brought new questions.
I wanted to hear explanations about Augnted Body and Black Badger.
Ricardo stared at with unreadable eyes and let out a chuckle.
"With you looking at like that, I can't just skip it~...."
Thank you.
"Simply put, you're like a pistol without a registered serial number~."
That was a clear explanation.
"Augnted Body holders are treated as living weapons.... So when an Augnted Body is implanted, the recipient's personal information is registered in the database, and they're always under headquarters' control.... But you're not registered with headquarters, and you were an Augnted Body holder we didn't even know existed, so that's the problem~. You suddenly popped out in the Portal Zone too. It's like an unknown missile dropping out of the sky in a danger zone—would that be a good analogy~?"
"Ah."
I roughly understood.
My body didn't feel particularly different. But I could see why people were so shocked by my health check results. An Augnted Body holder was probably closer to a missile than a pistol. They wouldn't report directly to the commander over an unknown pistol.
Anyway....
"Why do I have an Augnted Body?"
With no mories, it was frustrating enough to go crazy.
Ricardo gave a small laugh at my foolish question.
"Yeah~. How did you end up with an Augnted Body.... It's so unimaginable that I can't even guess...."
"Did you get so illegal surgery or sothing? The surgery's aftereffects wiped all your mories."
"Ro.... Illegal surgery wouldn't integrate this perfectly~. If you'd had illegal surgery, you wouldn't be in this state to chat normally right now...."
"Wow!"
The conversation cut off.
Bang! With a loud noise, the infirmary door flew open, and I reflexively jolted back. I widened my eyes and looked at the one who had flung the door open.
A woman with round black eyes wide open. It was Ami, who had gone out earlier saying she needed to talk to Yoon.
What had just happened?
Ricardo and Ro also raised their eyebrows and looked at Ami.
A sudden silence fell over the unexpected situation. We blinked at each other for a while, frozen like soone had hit pause.
Then Ami spoke.
"Mr. Joo is coming back for overti."
Thud!
Ro dropped the phone he was holding to the floor.
"He's even ho already but turning back!"
"Crazy!"
Bang! As Ro stood up, the chair he had been sitting in toppled backward.
The atmosphere shifted. Ricardo, who rarely seed surprised, asked, "The HR Director~?"
Ami nodded frantically at Ricardo's question and Ro's "Hey, really? For real?" then rushed into the infirmary.
She paced around energetically.
After a while of not containing her excitent, Ami turned to , who was still stunned.
"It's thanks to you, Mr. Hilde!"
Ami shouted happily.
Ro exclaid in admiration.
"Hey, you see all kinds of things living long enough."
The curly-haired man approached and patted my back heartily.
"Good job. You did what even Ye-hyeon and his predecessor couldn't. You're the only one who's dragged Joo back after he went ho."
His words were laced with genuine delight.
Even Ricardo let out a chuckle.
I just watched the people's reactions dumbly. I didn't really get it. But it was an ergency serious enough to call back soone I didn't know, and I wondered if it was okay for them to be this happy....
I didn't voice the thought.
Instead, holding the hamburger, I sat quietly with an awkward smile until Ro and Ami cald down, buried in curiosity about who this HR Director Joo person was.
I wanted to et that HR Director as soon as possible.
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